by James Slater: Unbeaten lightweight sensation Amir Khan fights next on June 21st in Birmingham, as most of his fans will be aware. The man he may well face may not yet be common knowledge, however. It was assumed Khan would be going in with a top class opponent, as close as he is to going for his first world title fight. Well, the news being reported in The South Wales Echo is not at all disappointing..
For in the article in the Welsh news source we are informed Khan will likely face none other than Gavin Rees, the former WBA light-welterweight champion of the world on June 21st. This is exciting news indeed. And although no official announcement has been made by Frank Warren or Sports Network yet, there is an excellent chance Rees will be next on Khan’s dance card.
More than likely representing Khan’s biggest test so far as a pro, a fight with the once-beaten Rees will no doubt result in yet another Khan sell-out. The fans will definitely want to see this one. Rees, who was beaten by Andreas Kotelnik last time out when he lost his world title in his very first defence, will have to lose five pounds so as to fight Khan at lightweight. But the 5’3″ Welshman should have no problems there. In short, the 27-1 (13) Rees is looking to get his career right back on the top level course it was on when he shocked Souleymane M’baye to win the world crown last July. Certainly, a win over Khan will propel Rees to a very enviable place in British, if not world, boxing.
The 21 year old Khan will be defending his commonwealth title for the 4th time, and will surely look to take Rees out in attention grabbing style. The 27 year old Rees took a lot of punishment in the Kotelnik fight back in March, eventually being stopped in the 12th and last round. Khan, a bigger puncher than Kotelnik, will want to do the job quicker. Still, Rees is a tough guy and Khan cannot afford to take him at all lightly. I doubt the 21 year old will look past Rees, as close as he is to a crack at a world title fight he will be all business in there on the 21st.
I for one hope the Khan-Rees fight does indeed get made. Rees will come to fight, and something tells me he will perhaps give young Amir his toughest physical fight to date.